Monday July the 7th

ON THIS DAY in 1897,
comedienne/actress Arlene Harris was born in Toronto.  She first gained international fame on the radio as The Chatterbox as a member of NBC's Al Pearce Gang in the 30's.   She also played the mother of Baby Snooks (Fannie Brice) in that sketches' various radio incarnations.  She recreated her Chatterbox character on TV's Dick Van Dyke Show (1964) and guested on various other series as late as 1970. She died June 12 1976 at age 78.

              
In 1911, actor Eddie Mayehoff was born in Baltimore. A jack of all trades, he was a bandleader (he attended the Yale School of Music), a radio comedy writer and a television emcee at various stages of his career. As an actor, the husky-voiced entertainer with the elastic face is best remembered as Dad in the movie That's My Boy opposite Jerry Lewis.  In 1954 he was able to transfer the role of "Jarring" Jack Jackson to a short-lived That's My Boy TV series. Gil Stratton played Junior this time, the miserable egghead whose young life was turned hellish by his pushy, obstinate dad.  Mayehoff died Nov. 12 1992 at age 81.  

In 1920, a device known as the radio compass was used for the first time on a U.S. Navy airplane near Norfolk, Virginia.

              
In 1924, singer Mary Ford was born Colleen Summers in Pasadena Calif.  Her name was picked out of the phone book by her husband Les Paul, who teamed with her for some of most innovative multitrack recording & overdubbing of the era.  Hits include How High the Moon, Vaya Con Dios, & The World is Waiting for the Sunrise.  The marriage/partnership dissolved in 1964, and she died of complications from diabetes Sep 30, 1976 at age 52.

In 1943, for the first time, Flashgun Casey was heard on radio. Not much later, the name of the program was altered to Casey, Crime Reporter, and became much more popular & enduring.

In 1944, legendary DJ, Bobby Ocean was born. He worked primarily on the US west coast, in an almost 50 year career.

              
In 1949, Jack Webb's Dragnet was first heard on NBC radio. The program was the first to dramatize cases from actual police files.  Dragnet went to television in January 1952 after a successful TV preview on Chesterfield Sound-Off Time a few weeks earlier. The show actually ran simultaneously on radio and TV from 1952 - 1956, continuing on television through 1959. After a seven-year hiatus, it returned as Dragnet '67 to distinguish itself from its own reruns. This first major real-life police drama series was so successful that it remains in syndication almost 60 years later. .

In 1954, two versions of "Sh-Boom" were in North America's top ten: the original by The Chords was at number nine, and the cover version by a white group, The Crew-Cuts, was at number five.

                
In 1956, Johnny Cash made his first appearance on ``Grand Ole Opry.'' He later became a regular member of the cast.

Also in 1956, the Platters' "My Prayer" was released.

In 1962, orchestra leader David Rose reached the top spot on the popular music charts. The Stripper stayed at the pinnacle of musicdom for just the one week. Rose's previous musical success on the charts was in 1944 with another instrumental he'd composed, Holiday for Strings.

In 1967, the Monkees opened a national tour with little-known Jimi Hendrix as the opening act.

Also in 1967 the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" was released

                
Still in 1967, The Doors' "Light My Fire" hit #1 on the pop charts.

In 1968, the group The Yardbirds disbanded.

In 1971, guitarist Bjorn Ulvaeus and vocalist Agnetha Faltskog of the Swedish megagroup Abba married in Verum, Sweden.

Also in 1971, Karen and Richard Carpenter hosted "Make Your Own Kind of Music" on NBC-TV. The show was a summer series.

In 1973, "Will It Go Round in Circles" by Billy Preston topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks.

In 1975, Keith Richards was charged with possession of an offensive weapon and reckless driving in Arkansas. He was arrested.

Also in 1975, the TV soap opera "Ryan's Hope" had its premiere.

                
In 1978, Morris the Cat of the "Nine Lives" cat food commercials was rescued by trainer Bob Martwick from the pound just a few minutes before he was to be put to sleep.

In 1979, songwriter and producer Van McCoy died of a heart attack in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 35. He had worked with artists like Aretha Franklin and Jackie Wilson, and was probably best known for his instrumental hit "The Hustle."

Also in 1979, the Montreaux Pop Festival in Switzerland presented its first country show. Barbara Mandrell and the Oak Ridge Boys were booed offstage, while the more traditional Roy Clark and Doc Watson were more warmly welcomed.

              
In 1980, the original lineup of Led Zeppelin gave its final show.

In 1984,"When Doves Cry" by Prince topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.

Also in 1984, the song "Relax," by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, became the biggest selling single of all time in Britain.

              
In 1990, radio/TV game show host & panellist Bill Cullen, who hosted the first TV Price is Right, and was a longtime panel member on I've Got a Secret & then To Tell the Truth, died of cancer at age 70. He'd begun in radio as host of Quick as a Flash and Hit the Jackpot.

In 1993, Gits lead vocalist Mia Zapata was found strangled in Seattle. She was 27.

In 1995, Rod Stewart's jet made a forced landing after a mid-air collision with a bird. Aviation authorities called the incident "undramatic," but Stewart was visibly shaken and said, "I nearly crashed."

                
In 1999, rapper Coolio was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 40 hours of community service, and two years' probation after pleading guilty to a charge of illegal gun possession.

In 2000, CAB Hall of Famer Dennis Reid died in Prince George at age 81.  He founded Cariboo Radio, starting CKCQ Quesnel (1957), CKWL Williams Lake (1960) and CKBX Hundred Mile House (1971), and forming Canadian private radio's first licensed network.  

Also in 2000, Metallica vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield aggravated a chronic back injury before a show at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. The band played its scheduled sets on the Summer Sanitorium tour in Atlanta, Sparta, Ky., and Irving, Texas, with bassist Jason Newstead handling vocal chores on several songs, and using members of several other bands on the bill to fill in on vocals and guitar. Among those who helped out were Kid Rock and sidekick Joe C, Korn's Jonathan Davis, and System of a Down's Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian.

                
Again in 2000, Bobby Brown was released from a Florida jail after serving 26 days for violating probation. The probation stemmed from a 1996 drunk driving incident in Hollywood, Florida. .

Still in 2000, the BBC imposed an early-evening ban on Robbie Williams' newest video entitled "Rock DJ."

In 2002, Michael Jackson made a bizarre appearance at a rally in New York to denounce the recording industry as racist and Sony chairman Tommy Mottola as devilish.

In 2004, Jeff Smith, TV’s Frugal Gourmet died at 65 years of age. In 1998, a sex scandal ruined the white-bearded Methodist minister’s career.

In 2006, Syd Barrett, co-founder of Pink Floyd, died in Cambridge, England, at age 60.
              


Today's Birthdays:

Blues pianist Pinetop Perkins is 95.

Bandleader Doc Severinsen (Tonight Show) is 81.

Country singer Charlie Louvin is 81.

Drummer Ringo Starr is 68.

Singer-guitarist Warren Entner of the Grass Roots is 64.

Actor Joe Spano (Hill St. Blues, NYPD Blue, Navy NCIS) is 62.

Country singer Linda Williams is 61.

Actress Shelley Duvall (Faerie Tale Theatre) is 59.

Actress Roz Ryan (Amen, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command) is 57.

Actor Billy Campbell (Once and Again, The 4400) is 49.

Bassist Mark White of the Spin Doctors is 46.

Singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard (Ally McBeal) is 45.

Actor-comedian Jim Gaffigan (Welcome to New York, My Boys, That 70's Show) is 42.

Actress Jorja Fox (ER, The West Wing, C.S.I.) is 40.

Actress Cree Summer (As Told By Ginger, A Different World) is 39.

Actor Hamish Linklater (New Adventures of Old Christine, American Dreams) is 32.
  
Rapper Cassidy is 26.

Country singer Gabbie Nolen is 26.


Chart Toppers:

July 7
1951
Too Young - Nat King Cole
Mister and Mississippi - Patti Page
On Top of Old Smokey - The Weavers (vocal: Terry Gilkyson)
I Want to Be with You Always - Lefty Frizzell

1960
Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool - Connie Francis
Alley-Oop (facts) - Hollywood Argyles
I’m Sorry - Brenda Lee
Please Help Me, I’m Falling - Hank Locklin

1969
Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini
Good Morning Starshine - Oliver
Crystal Blue Persuasion (facts) - Tommy James & The Shondells
Statue of a Fool - Jack Greene

1978
Shadow Dancing (facts) - Andy Gibb
Baker Street (facts) - Gerry Rafferty
Take a Chance on Me (facts) - Abba
It Only Hurts for a Little While - Margo Smith

1987
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (facts) - Whitney Houston
Alone (facts) - Heart
Shakedown (facts) - Bob Seger
That Was a Close One - Earl Thomas Conley

1996
Tha Crossroads (facts) - Bone thugs-n-harmony
You’re Makin’ Me High/Let It Flow - Toni Braxton
How Do U Want It/California Love - 2Pac (featuring KC & JoJo)
Time Marches On - Tracy Lawrence

2005
We Belong Together (facts) - Mariah Carey
Behind These Hazel Eyes (facts) - Kelly Clarkson
Don’t Phunk With My Heart (facts) - Black Eyed Peas
Fast Cars and Freedom - Rascal Flatts